Bad Romance

Chapter 29

"What do you want," Lyra asked in frustration.

"We want you to get to know us before you make any decisions. We want more time than a few weeks," Bellatrix said.

"But no matter what you decide, we aren't allowing you to go back to Australia," Rabastan told her. When Lyra glared he grinned. "Who will be my wing woman if you leave? You've got to consider my feelings in this too, you know."

"You're ridiculous," Lyra told him with a laugh.

"Yeah, but I'm awesome," Rabastan retorted.

"Fine," Lyra said with a sigh. "How do you suggest I get to know you?"

"There is so much you missed, and that you don't...probably can't understand," Bellatrix said. "Perhaps if we showed you some things in a Pensieve, you would understand a little more."

"I'll just go get it from the attic while Lyra chooses her bed chamber," Rabastan said. Bellatrix nodded and he Apparated away with a crack. Lyra took her time peering into each room before opting for the one decorated all in purple and black.

"We can go clothes shopping tomorrow if you like," Bellatrix told her daughter with a forced smile. "I am sure you will need more than you brought with you. If you like we can invite your Aunt Narcissa along as well so you can get to know her."

Bellatrix didn't miss the look of sympathy that Rodolphus sent her way. He knew she wasn't at all into girlie girl things like excessive clothes shopping. She enjoyed being fashionable, but didn't take hours over it as so many other women did. She had better things to do with her time and attention.

"Alright," Lyra said tentatively. "Thanks. I don't really have a lot of warm clothes, actually."

"We'll go after work," Bellatrix said. "I'll write Cissa in the morning, if not later tonight. I want you to come along with us to the Ministry tomorrow. Grindelwald may be interested in your Mind Ripping ability."

"Oh yeah," Lyra said. "He's the son of THAT Grindelwald, right? What's he like?"

Bellatrix frowned thoughtfully. "Well...he's human, which I suppose is good." Lyra gave her a strange look and she continued. "To clarify, what I mean is thanks to the Dark Lord, I have come to appreciate a great and powerful Dark wizard being human...real...approachable, and not someone we consider god-like."

Rodolphus nodded, slipping an arm around Bellatrix. "She's right," he told Lyra. "No man should appear to be a god. It is a definite mark of severe instability and not of the good sort."

Rabastan Apparated back, Pensieve in hand. "Library," he asked his brother, and Rodolphus nodded.

Lyra studied the Pensieve her uncle held with interest as Bellatrix and Rodolphus led the way to the library. There was a large table in the middle of the room where they could all sit. That way everyone can look into the Pensieve and travel memory lane together.

"Where should we start," Bellatrix asked as everyone settled into chairs around the circular oak table. "I think showing Lyra Uncle Orion's murder is a bit...graphic, but I do want her to understand what we were up against. Perhaps something like that, but not exactly."

"I can watch a murder, I am no longer two," Lyra huffed. "I'd rather not, though."

"How about how it was with the Dark Lord in the end when he was unkind even to his favorites?" Rodolphus suggested.

"Yeah, I was just really uncomfortable back then," Rabastan said, and Rodolphus nodded. "Bellatrix was always more...reactive, so hers would probably be more illustrative."

"Fine," Bellatrix said, and closing her eyes, she focused her memories on the summer of nineteen ninety-eight. Drawing her wand from the right sleeve of her dress, she began extracting memories from her head and placing them carefully into the Pensieve.